Dr. Aaron J. Griffen Academic & Educational Leadership and Professional Background

As Vice President (VP) of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), my role is to facilitate a multi-year cross-functional DEI strategy, which includes collaborative DEI planning and change management across the DSST Network; provide guidance and support to the school, home office and the Senior Leadership Team; and identify collaborative partnerships with external consultants and organizations. The DEI department at DSST Public Schools, which includes the Manager of DEI, promotes communication and DEI feedback mechanisms in order to ensure a constant examination of organizational data and metrics to uncover disparities, gaps and systemic marginalization. This leads to coordinated efforts of network leaders to align DEI scope and sequence to the leader development plan, which in turn articulates a vision for People Development around DEI - across academics, culture, and student services. Our development plan includes a Social Justice approach and vision for culturally responsive and relevant, trauma informed, and anti-racist curriculum, instruction and programming. Lastly, my role as Vice President (VP) of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a part of the Human Capital Team, which includes, but is not limited to the following:
• Align with our Human Capital hiring partners to develop DEI recruitment and retention goals.
• Collaborate with Talent Operations to construct teacher and school leaders’ Equity Evaluation.
• Supports and sets vision for implementation of Affinity Groups for DSST Public Schools’ Staff.
• Manages DEI resource, human capital, and on-boarding budget in alignment to network priorities and goals.